Friends of Darvin Galanodel
Possessed of natural charm, Darvin Galanodel gets along well with everyone, even if they often find him odd Even after the incident, his friends have stuck with him, bemused by his increasing oddity, with it having a slightly charming effect on people. Sure he was off, now, and liked to ramble more than ever, but he made people laugh. Being an outsider and a half-elf in a city that’s predominantly Dragonborn and Human, Darvin has many acquaintances, but only five close friends, almost all of them having bonded over being outsiders in the town. Of the five, he is the closest with Balasar, Atala and Iados, who acts as his teacher both in magic and medicine. Balasar Turnuroth A Dragonborn farmer, Balasar was the first person Darvin met when he arrived in Zendoacha, and they have been fast friends ever since. A simple, but kindhearted man, Balasar adores Darvin and would do anything for his friend. And what he lacks in brains, he more than makes up for in size, being a particularly large example of his species. When he’s not farming, Balasar also doubles as a bouncer at the neighborhood tavern. Atala Amastacia Atala is one of the rare half-elves in Zendoacha, and even rarer, she’s not a farmer. Instead she owns the favored tavern of Darvin and Balasar, the Blade and Bow. A mysterious woman of 50 years, Atala is slight of build and moves with bewitching grace. Her pale eyes and black skin mark her as half Drow. That an outsider, especailly one visibly part Drow, managed to start her own successful tavern is proof that Atala is not a woman to trifle with. She brooks no nonsense in her bar, and expects all races to be treated equally. Anyone who says otherwise, answers to her knives. Though, those instances died down significantly once she hired Balasar to man the doors. Atala took to Darvin quickly on his weekly visits to the tavern, and the two are good friends and sometimes bedmates, though Atala is beholden to no man. Iados Iados is a Tiefling wizard, as well as brewer, alchemist, physicker and chirurgeon. He brews the house ales at the Blade and Bow, and dabbles a bit in wine-making. As an outsider, one often feared by the human population in Zendoacha, Iados took to Darvin quickly. The two bonded over being outsides by birth, and by the study of magic. Seeing a willing pupil in Darvin, Iados tried to teach him some magic, but it was to no avail. Darvin, however, did prove adept at making medicines, so that eventually became the focus of their time together. In their leisure times, the two often discuss books and magic over drinks at the tavern. Iados considers Darvin a pupil of sorts, and the two have a close student-teacher bond. This bond has changed, though, now that Darvin has mysteriously gained the ability to do magic. Iados still is a willing teacher, but remains wary of whatever deal Darvin made to gain his newfound powers. Mei Qiao Despite the fact she’s human, Qiao is an outsider in Zendoacha, having traveled from Kara-Tur with her family. Qiao is young, in her mid-20s, and is the cook at the Blade and Bow, often serving up “exotic” dishes from her homeland. Like Atala, Qiao took to Darvin and Balasar during their weekly visits, and over the course of a couple years became friends with the two. Geth Stormwind Geth is an Illuskan travelling trader, whose route takes him between the cities and villages in the Oscon Alliance. When he is in Zendoacha, he can usually be found in the Blade and Bow. Geth finds Darvin humorous, and often trades Darvin books he’s acquired on his travels for some of Darvin’s share of the spice crop, or for the books Darvin acquires from Iados. After a few years of affable trading, the two began discussing the books they traded and struck up a friendship. Being a traveler, Geth also tells Darvin stories of all the places he sees in his travels.